Because its an incredibly racist song. It pretends to be about racial tolerance -- the idea that everyone should get along and not judge people / cultures based on race, but is really about racism tolerance -- the idea that black people should just accept confederate flags and other racist behavior because tolerance is good, m'kay? Sure its a symptom of a cultural ignorance of race issues, sure, but that doesn't make it any less problematic (Could probably argue its not Paisley's fault he is racist, but more the environment around him. But all this song does is contribute to that environment).

The long and the short of it is that a famous country singer has stated in his song that tolerating black people wearing gold chains is okay because slavery happened so we should cut them a break. Its vile and revolting. The real question is why a bigger deal isn't being made about this.

First of all, the flag you're claiming to be the "Confederate Flag," is not the Confederate flag, it's the battle flag of Northern Virginia. If it offends then you need a history lesson. In know way is that flag racist, it's a symbol of southern pride like someone had already mentioned. This is exactly why the song was written, to prove a point that people like you see this flag, yet have no idea the meaning behind it, and then cry racist because you we're falsely told what it stands for.

First of all, the flag you're claiming to be the "Confederate Flag," is not the Confederate flag, it's the battle flag of Northern Virginia. If it offends then you need a history lesson. In know way is that flag racist, it's a symbol of southern pride like someone had already mentioned. This is exactly why the song was written, to prove a point that people like you see this flag, yet have no idea the meaning behind it, and then cry racist because you we're falsely told what it stands for.

And that is exactly why the song is so offensive. Its not like "It it Ain't Easy Being Brown" where the heart of the message is "we should all get along" even though that message gets butchered in the process. The heart of the message here is "The confederate flag isn't racist and everyone should just forget slavery ever happened". It represents a white-centric "If other people are offended by my actions its their own damn fault" attitude.

The flag isn't just racist "In a way". It is racist in pretty much every way.

To quote the second greatest scene ever to air on television (i.e. Isaac's speech during "The Six Gentlemen of Southern Tennessee" on Sports Night)

"In the history of the South, there's much to celebrate. And that flag is a desecration of all of it. It's a banner of hatred and seperatism. It's a banner of ignorance and violence and a war that pitted brother against brother, and to ask young black men and women, young Jewish men and women, Asians, Native Americans, to ask Americans to walk beneath its shadow is a humiliation of irreducible proportions. And we all know it."

It may be a symbol of "southern pride" but if it is one that is only shared and enjoyed by a select portion of white folks is it really a pride worth having? Like I said elsewhere in the thread, there is a large portion of the south which is black but clearly arn't flying the confederate flag. So what part of "southern pride" does that flag really encompass? Are you saying you're only proud of the white part of the south?

If you want to have pride in your greater regional area great, just don't use symbols that are rooted in such hate and bigotry. Race problems in america are far from being completely resolved. Its impossible to separate the people flying the confederate flag who are actually racist scumbags from the ones who are just showing "southern pride". If "southern pride" isn't just a new white bedsheet to mask your racism, I would think there wouldn't be so much objection to finding a new symbol.

And that is exactly why the song is so offensive. Its not like "It it Ain't Easy Being Brown" where the heart of the message is "we should all get along" even though that message gets butchered in the process. The heart of the message here is "The confederate flag isn't racist and everyone should just forget slavery ever happened". It represents a white-centric "If other people are offended by my actions its their own damn fault" attitude.

The flag isn't just racist "In a way". It is racist in pretty much every way.

To quote the second greatest scene ever to air on television (i.e. Isaac's speech during "The Six Gentlemen of Southern Tennessee" on Sports Night)

"In the history of the South, there's much to celebrate. And that flag is a desecration of all of it. It's a banner of hatred and seperatism. It's a banner of ignorance and violence and a war that pitted brother against brother, and to ask young black men and women, young Jewish men and women, Asians, Native Americans, to ask Americans to walk beneath its shadow is a humiliation of irreducible proportions. And we all know it."

It may be a symbol of "southern pride" but if it is one that is only shared and enjoyed by a select portion of white folks is it really a pride worth having? Like I said elsewhere in the thread, there is a large portion of the south which is black but clearly arn't flying the confederate flag. So what part of "southern pride" does that flag really encompass? Are you saying you're only proud of the white part of the south?

If you want to have pride in your greater regional area great, just don't use symbols that are rooted in such hate and bigotry. Race problems in america are far from being completely resolved. Its impossible to separate the people flying the confederate flag who are actually racist scumbags from the ones who are just showing "southern pride". If "southern pride" isn't just a new white bedsheet to mask your racism, I would think there wouldn't be so much objection to finding a new symbol.

It's racist because someone told us it was racist. The flag has thirteen stars which represented the original thirteen united colonies. Each colony had their own form of self-governence, much like how we do today with states. The Civil War was largely started because of the northern aggression wanting to trump state rights from the southern states, which led to them seceding from the north, thus starting the war. Of course slavery played a role, but it was more about fighting for the right for states to govern themselves. In no way, shape, or form does that flag represent racism. The flag was merely adopted.

If it offends you, then whats to say the American flag shouldn't offend you? Europeans came to America, slaughtered and enslaved the people who were hear long before us and took over their land, so isn't the same thing if going by your logic?

It's racist because someone told us it was racist. The flag has thirteen stars which represented the original thirteen united colonies. Each colony had their own form of self-governence, much like how we do today with states. The Civil War was largely started because of the northern aggression wanting to trump state rights from the southern states, which led to them seceding from the north, thus starting the war. Of course slavery played a role, but it was more about fighting for the right for states to govern themselves. In no way, shape, or form does that flag represent racism. The flag was merely adopted.

If it offends you, then whats to say the American flag shouldn't offend you? Europeans came to America, slaughtered and enslaved the people who were hear long before us and took over their land, so isn't the same thing if going by your logic?

I mean yeah, that's part of the definition of racist. If no one thinks its racist it probably isn't racist. A white bedsheet or a burning cross wouldn't be racist if someone didn't tell you it was racist. Nor would a picture of a black kid eating watermelon and fired chicken. What point are you even trying to make there? That we could magically decide the confederate flag isn't racist anymore? Sure. But in choosing between the people group that was oppressed and the people group trying to remember that oppression, I'll generally side with the oppressed. Most people think the confederate flag is racist and keep in mind with things like this opinion matters a whole lot. Even if you aren't trying to be racist by having a confederate flag, people are going to make that assumption and it isn't an unreasonable assumption to make and there is little gained by actually having it when you can express southern pride in other ways.

Yes, the civil war was fought for a number of different reasons. But slavery was one of those reasons, and you cannot divorce it from the other reasons the war was fought for. The flag represents more than just racism, sure. But it does stand for an era where the south treated people like property based on their skin color. Are there other things it stands for as well? Sure. But slavery is such a vile and disgusting practice that for the purposes of cultural sensitivity I don't get you can't just make a clean break.

All countries have done crummy things in the past. In the case of the US, I'd like to think we learn from our mistakes and recognized our wrongs. Of course, I would completely understand someone in say, Iraq being upset by my American flag. Even on a Native American village, I would be understanding of that sort of hostilities. But there is a different between flying a modern day flag of the country you live in, and using a 150 year old flag that represents a secessionist country that enslaved humans.

Again, if it didn't have racial and just was a sign of southern pride, you'd see black people in the south using it.

White people, we are still overall a privileged race and should feel some degree of white guilt. Remember slavery yeah that happened and we should never forget about it especially because African Americans are still recovering from it meaning they are the most likely race to live below the poverty line in the US. I go to school in north Philly and I get dirty looks and rude comments daily from some of the locals but no way am I going to bitch and moan about it because I AM luckier than them. I was born with more opportunities than most who grow up in areas like north Philly. If I were them I would probably hate white people who don't realize how lucky they are to have not grown up in poverty.

I would help them but I hate people in general lol but I love cats so I help the cats.

First of all, the flag you're claiming to be the "Confederate Flag," is not the Confederate flag, it's the battle flag of Northern Virginia. If it offends then you need a history lesson. In know way is that flag racist, it's a symbol of southern pride like someone had already mentioned. This is exactly why the song was written, to prove a point that people like you see this flag, yet have no idea the meaning behind it, and then cry racist because you we're falsely told what it stands for.

First off its "no". Secondly the variances between the flags are minor. Thirdly, we all know the meaning of it. A failed rebellion, what the hell else is there to know?